Computer users are accustomed to using a mouse and keyboard as a way of interacting with a personal computer. While personal computers provide a number of advantages over printed documents, users often continue to perform certain functions using printed paper. Some of these functions include reading handwritten documents. In the case of annotations, the printed document assumes a greater significance because of the annotations placed on it by the user. One of the difficulties, however, with having a hand-written document is a later need to have the content entered back into the electronic form of the document. This requires the original user or another user to wade through the handwritten content and enter them into a personal computer. In some cases, a user will scan in the handwritten content and the original text, thereby creating a new document. These multiple steps make the interaction between the printed document and the electronic version of the document difficult to handle on a repeated basis. Further, scanned-in images are frequently non-modifiable. There may be no way to separate the handwritten content from the original text. This makes using the handwritten content difficult. Accordingly, an improved way of handling handwritten content is needed.
Handwritten content may assume different formats including drawings, tables, flow diagrams, and written text. Furthermore, handwritten content in the document may be entered in different languages by one or more users. For example, a portion of the annotations may be written in Chinese (corresponding to Han script) by one user while another portion may be written in English (corresponding to Roman script) by another user.
Processing multilingual handwritten documents is becoming more important with increasing international business travel. Consequently, there is a need in the art to discern the types of writing script in a handwritten document.